Physiological fluids that are infused into a patient can contain gasses, such as air or oxygen. The presence of these gasses can arise in various ways, a common one being outgassing resulting from the heating of the fluids.
A known device for elimination of gasses from a physiological fluid is shown in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,308. This patent describes a gas elimination device, which provides a vertical column through which the fluid flows. The flow of the fluid through the column is such that the gas forms into bubbles, which rise to the top of the column. The gas then passes through a hydrophobic membrane at the top of the column and escapes to the environment.
The device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,308 is dependent on the orientation of the device because the membrane is located at the end of the column that is intended to be above the opposite end. If the column is inverted, the gas bubbles will rise to the end of the column that does not have provision for allowing escape of the gasses.
Gas elimination devices that are not dependent on the orientation of the device are known. These devices, however, rely on hydrophilic membranes to remove the gas, and these membranes are not useful with the cellular fluids, such as blood, that concern applicant.